Renewal in Christ: Athanasius on the Christian Life

Resources for Application

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to fast and pray. But, of course, these practices ultimately come not from Athanasius but from Jesus himself. Jesus does not say “ If you fast”; he says “ When you fast” (Matt 6:16). Fasting, therefore, needs to be a regular part of the Christian life, constantly reminding us to hunger more for Christ than the pleasures of this world. When fasting, we simply abstain from food (or something else) in order to focus on spiritual realities. Jesus also did not say “ If you pray,” but rather “ When you pray” (Matt 6:9). Prayer, therefore, also must be a consistent part of the Christian’s life. At one level, prayer is simply talking to God. But at a deeper level, prayer is communion with God. We are not merely coming before our king to present requests. We are with our Father who wants to hear about whatever is going on in our lives and draw us nearer to his heart. There are many forms of prayer: praise, lament, confession, thanksgiving, interceding for others, and requests for ourselves. But each of these is not merely a way of getting something from God but of being with God. Fasting and praying are linked together in Scripture because (1) practically, we can use the time normally reserved for a meal to pray instead, and (2) spiritually, fasting enhances our hunger and yearning, which we then redirect to God, who satisfies our souls. There are a variety of ways to incorporate these two practices into your life. First, choose a time, whether weekly or monthly, to fast. Ideally, partner with others in fasting so you can support one another and share the experience together. Second, while we can “pray without ceasing” throughout the day (1 Thess 5:18), we should also set aside specific times to commune with our Father